STAND. COM. REP. NO. 978-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1635

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1635, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a rural health task force to develop solutions for and make recommendations regarding the recruitment and retention of registered nurses and facility-specific needs for the health care sector in rural areas of east Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of the Maui County Council, The Queen's Health Systems, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, Hana Health, Lāna‘i Community Health Center, Molokai Community Health Center, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and We are Hawai‘i-American Nurses Association.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a representative from Malama I Ke Ola Health Center and Molokai Community Health Center to the task force and expanding the scope of the task force's duties to include rural areas of all of Maui; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1635, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1635, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair